Australian government considers blocking porn and gambling sites

A quick note for readers who aren't familiar with the ins and outs of Australian politics: the two senators named here as supporting these measures (Xenophon and Fielding) aren't part of any major party, and certainly not part of the "Government" as we usually use the term.

The way that senators are elected in Australia allows for people to occasionally get elected with a tiny percentage of the actual vote, usually by having a nice-sounding party name like "Family First" or "No Pokies" (the latter of which refers to poker machines in bars, which are a bit of an annoyance). Unfortunately the way the balance of power in the Senate usually works out, the government has to rely on the support of the minor parties in order to pass legislation.

The headline is thus somewhat inaccurate -- I would never defend what the Australian government is trying to do to the internet, but the _actual_ government isn't considering these measures on its own initiative, although they may be considering adding them in order to appease the minor parties.

I'm very depressed that both my home country (Australia) and my adopted country (the USA) are both seem to be taking steps away from liberty and towards statism simultaneously.